Early Intervention Strategies for Reading

If your child is having difficulty reading, one of these early intervention strategies may be the answer.

If you have a student or child who's struggling to learn to read, implementing early intervention strategies for reading may help you stop or correct reading difficulties before they become a more serious problem. Before you begin working with your child or student, it's important to realize reading difficulties are common. According the 2005 Nation's Report Card from the National Center for Education Statistics, only 37 percent of fourth graders are proficient readers.

Recognize It Early

One of the first early intervention strategies for reading difficulties that has been proven to work is training teachers and parents to recognize reading difficulties early. The earlier reading difficulties are discovered, the faster other strategies can begin being used. If your child does not want to read by himself, has no interest in reading, tests poorly on subjects where reading is required or has difficulty or is embarrassed by reading aloud, he may be having difficulty reading.

Provide One-on-One Instructions

One-on-one instruction for children having difficulty reading is one of the most effective proven methods of dealing with the root of the problem. Often children with reading difficulties get lost in the shuffle of the schoolroom when other children outpace them. Taking the time to work with each child individually allows the teacher to focus on specific problems and to correct any mistakes a student is making when they occur. Individual instruction works well at any age level, but it is often used with younger children in the first and second grades.

Offer Small Group Instruction

If a child has learned the basics but is still having difficulty reading, offering small group instruction can improve reading skills and comprehension. Small group instruction allows children to hear other children reading and helps them realize that they're not the only ones having difficulty. It also provides the opportunity for the teacher to correct mistakes in a smaller, more structured environment. Small group instruction is often offered through early intervention programs in the third and fourth grades but begins earlier or later depending on the program, school or the child's individual needs.

References

• North Central Education Regional Laboratory: Early Reading Intervention
• Reading Rockets: Strategies for Conducting Outcome Evaluations of Early Intervention Literacy Programs
• US Department of Education: Intervention: Early Intervention in Reading
• Eduplace: Preventing Reading Problems
• National Center for Education Statistics: Reading